Confessions of Tabitha Willow
by tabbywillow
Summary: Tabitha Willow talks about life at Hogwarts, her Ravenclaw friends, Beauxbatons boyfriends, insane family, and more.


"Bloody hell, I'm almost falling asleep." Cho passed me her note, knowing that Professor Binns would most likely not notice, as he was droning on about.well, just some sort of usual rubbish. I read it and then took out my quill and scratched, "Oh, I know! Why can't they just keep a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and get a new History of Magic one. I don't know if I can stand this any longer!" This is sort of a ritual we do in History of Magic, note passing. It really helps the time go by. "True, I mean, they should've kept Lupin or something. Even Lockhart was more interesting!" wrote Cho. "I wasn't here for Lockhart, remember?" I said, 'cos I wasn't. I got to go on a year abroad at a French school, to live near my mum. Mum and Dad had a huge row over whether I should go or not. It was alright, but nothing beats Hogwarts. "Oh yeah, I keep forgetting that was the year you were at Buexbatons. Are you friends with any of the Delegations?" said Cho - I mean, wrote Cho. Whatever! "Not good friends, but I may sort of know some of 'em. I'll have to wait until they arrive to see. Two more nights, right?" I scribbled. "Nope, they'll be here tomorrow night!" At this point Prof. Binns slowly looked up and said, "Sharing notes isn't something I support, Miss Swallow." He always talks like there's peanut butter glued around his lips or something, 'cos every word is so darn slow. "Actually, my name's Tabby Willow." I just had to use my big mouth. Does Professor Binns every give out detentions? I guess not, as he just said, "What was that Miss Swallow?'  
I muttered something that came out as a sort of "mmghphhh hmgh."  
He just started talking again, sadly. I just doodled on my parchment as he blabbered on, knowing that Stella would let me copy of her notes later.  
  
* * *  
  
"Tabby?" asked Trixie.  
I was lying on my bed in the dormitories doing some studying.  
"What, Trix?"  
"Do you think the Beauxbatons boys are attracted to a mystical shade of purple, or a more subtle blue?"  
"I truly don't know, as I've never been one."  
Stella gave me this little look, and then said to Trixie, "I'm sure they'll find both very becoming."  
I love Trix, I truly do, but she can get a little crazy about boys.  
"Yeah, what would Tabby know about boys anyways?" Cho said, teasingly of course. She did speak the truth, though. I've never had a boyfriend, quite to my displeasure.  
I threw a book at her, but she ducked just in time, causing it to hit the picture of some attractive young wizard above Marietta's bed. He disappeared out of the frame for a minute or two, and then came back up, rubbing his head and glaring at me.  
At this point we were all cracking up, the slight conflict with Trixie and I totally forgotten. We always do that sort of thing. Once we were finished, and I'd apologized to the cute wizard in the frame, we realized we had five minutes to be on the grounds and meet the delegations. In a huge rush we put on some cloaks and dashed out of the common room.  
Sprinting down the halls, Marietta turned to me and asked, "How are they arriving, anyways."  
"No idea," I said breathlessly. I truly had no idea.  
Once outside, everyone already had their necks craned up at something in the sky.  
Then I saw Madame Maxime's huge carriage. I have no idea how I could've forgotten that. It was shiny and round, and looked just like the moon had been enlarged to twice it's size. It grew larger and larger as it got closer, so you could see the huge winged horses. And at last, it landed.  
When Madame Maxime stepped out, so many people gasped, and it took me a while to latch on as to why. I guess they weren't expecting a female, stuck up version of Hagrid.  
Then out came the students. I don't know how many memories of Beauxbatons I'd forgotten, but many rushed back when I saw a few familiar faces - Avril, Bari, Braer, Fluer, and a few others - all wearing the old silk uniforms and scarves.  
"Whose the cute one?" Trixie asked, nodding at a boy with rich brown eyes, and tousled dark hair.  
"I dunno his name, but he looks vaguely familiar." I answered. He was very cute.  
Dumbledore introduce Madame Maxime, and then we waited for the students from Durmstrang to arrive. They came alright, but in a ship. Yes in a ship, and right out of the lake. I was just standing there with my mouth hanging open, looking like a complete and total idiot, but so was everyone else, so I guess it all worked out. Once on shore the freakiest man in the world stepped out. His hair was all slicked black and oily and.ugh. He must've been Karkaroff, the Durmstrang headmaster.  
"Oh my gosh, look at him!!!" gawked Trix, looking love struck.  
"Are you feeling alright?" whispered Marietta.  
"Wait, she's not talking about that Karkaroff headmaster guy, she's talking about the person behind him," explained Stella.  
"He's the Bulgarian Seeker, Tabby! Victor Krum! The one we saw at the World Cup!" Cho said to me.  
He was in fact Krum, the smashing Krum. He was completely on fire at the cup, not literally of course, but he was excellent. See, Cho and I went together, and had a complete and total blast. We got to see kids from school, sleep under the stars, everything. It was fantastic - except for the Dark Mark.  
"I didn't know you were into quidditch, Trixie," I whispered excitedly to Trix.  
"I am now!"  
"Wait - you don't think he's cute, do you?" I had to ask, and I knew what her answer would be. But why would anyone on earth find him remotely attractive? He was so.rectangular!  
"Well, just look at him, you know you think he's a hottie," said Trixie. She was without a doubt hopeless!  
"Oh yeah, I love his sexy eyebrow," I said, rolling my eyes.  
We continued our arguing until we entered the Great Hall, for a splendid welcoming feast, and all the tourney details, then went up to bed and crashed.  
* * *  
  
The next night we found ourselves having yet another feast, this time to announce those who would be the school champions. We were sitting down, munching on this and that, having a splendid old time, when the boy who Trixie found cute - not Krum - asked, "Do I recognize you from somewhere?"  
"Yes, I'm Tabitha, I went to Beuxbatons on exchange two years ago."  
"Oh yes, I remember you, a little. I'm Baudouin," he said, extending his hand. It was slightly cold, but very soft, and I probably held on to it too long. He laughed and I let go, feeling slightly stupid.  
Luckily, I didn't need to embarrass myself any further, as Dumbledore began his speech. For some reason I couldn't listen though. I felt nervous, truly nervous. What if I did some other stupid thing in front of Baudouin? I hoped with all my heart I wasn't fancying him already. Then I wouldn't be able to talk to him at all. And I wanted to talk to him. But what if I said something stupid? What if -  
"Tabby, what's up?" asked Cho.  
"Oh, I was just zoning, but I'm here now!" I said. It didn't matter, Baudouin was chatting with somebody else.  
So, the feast began, with delicious food, a lot of what was served at Beauxbatons, some of the good old Hogwarts favorites, and some other things that I'd never even heard of that looked familiar to those of Durmstrang, who were dining with the Slytherins.  
Cho, Stella, and I chatted about classes and quidditch. At the word "quidditch," Baudouin turned and asked, "Oh, are you quidditch fans?"  
"Yes, I'm on the team here. I play seeker," said Cho.  
"Excellent, so do I!"  
"Did you go to the World Cup?" I asked. I hope I didn't turn red. I hate it when I do that. I'm not usually a bashful person, so turning red is like, freaky. The blood rushes to your face and your just.oh, it's awful. Luckily, I didn't.  
"No, I really wanted to though. I hear it was excellent," said Baudouin.  
"Yes, it was, apart from the." Cho started to say.  
"The Dark Mark?" said Baudouin, speaking in a slightly softer voice, which was very attractive, in my opinion.  
"Yeah," I answered, "They still haven't figured out who conjured it." I  
He nodded, but it was then that Fluer asked him to pass some of the frites. I remembered Fluer from Beauxbatons. She wasn't all that bad, but everybody simply loved her, male-wise at least. I dunno what it is that makes guys go all drooly for her, but Baudouin didn't seem to mind passing them to her at all. He simply enjoyed it, and then started chatting with her. Cho and I continued talking. I tried my best to ignore her flirty giggling whenever he said something witty.  
Finally they shut up, and Baudouin turned back to us.  
"So, who are you rooting for in the Tournament?" He asked us.  
"I'm rooting for Cedric, I think." Said Cho.  
"Yes," I said absentmindedly, "He'd be good. So would Baudouin."  
Yep, that's me for you. Once again I had to screw things up. I probably sounded like some hopeless stalker.  
"That's sweet of you." He said, looking straight at me with those chocolate frog eyes, minus the frog part. "I dunno if I'll get it though. It would be fun and all, but I'll get to spend the year here either way."  
I tried to keep it cool this time, and not sound too excited. "That's cool." I said, and then turned to Cho and started talking about broomsticks. So, what's wrong with playing hard to get?  
And then, Dumbledore began to announce the champions. The tension in the room was so strong, you could barely breath. It would throw off the silence.  
"The champion for Durmstrang," he said, pausing. I hate it when people do that! Anyways, he said, "The champion for Durmstrang will be Victor Krum.  
Trixie gave out a nice little squeal, which I'm sure Krum found very appealing. Who wouldn't resist a shrieking dolphin? Sorry, that was harsh.  
Then he said, "The champion from Beauxbatons is.Fluer Decalor."  
I clapped, and watched to see what Baudouin's reaction would be. He gave Fluer this pleased look. He looked so happy, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. It hurt to see him look so incredibly proud.  
"The Hogwarts champion," Dumbledore at last announced, "Is Cedric Diggory."  
I clapped and such as all the others were doing around me, hiding my sadness.  
And then, the weirdest thing happened. The goblet seemed as if it wasn't done yet, as if it had another student to announce. Everyone went silent. And Dumbledore? All he said was, "Harry Potter."  
Back in the Ravenclaw common room, practically everyone was trying to get a word in. There was so much shouting and clammering, it seemed hopeless. It wasn't worth joining in. I didn't have any theories as to why or how Harry got into the Tournament. Harry's all right and all, but it seems like he's always trying to be the hero. It's like, enough is enough, chump! The one good thing about Harry getting into the tournament? It takes my mind off of Baudouin. At least a little.. I suppose it was stupid liking him in the first place. "He's going with Fluer, so there's no hope now" I thought. I didn't see why I was getting upset over such a tiny crush. I'd just have to try being friends with him then.  
  
* * *  
  
Double Potions. I was sitting there in the dungeon, freezing my bum off and trying to make whatever pink thing was in my cauldron turn green. It wasn't going that great, plus Snape was giving me his evil eye. I dunno what his problem is, but he's pretty freaky.  
So then, to make it worse, I feel this warm brushing against my ankle. Looking down I saw Fae, my little black kitten. I was like, crossing my fingers, hoping she wouldn't meow or anything.  
Stella gave me this look of horror and whispered, "Oh my gosh, we've got to get her out of here."  
I nodded, then tried to coaxe her off of me. It wasn't working.  
"Is there some sort of problem that seems to be taking away from your work," snarled Snape.  
I shook my head "no."  
"Don't lie to me," said Snape, his ugly, disgusting nostrils flaring, "I see the ugly creature beneath your desk. 10 points from Ravenclaw. Return that thing to your dormitories after class. But first come discuss your dentention with me."  
That's how I found myself scrubbing the girl's toilets without any magic. It was disgusting. Moaning Myrtle kept me company though. Yeah, sure, that was excellent. She just glared at me, and then, walked right through me. It was so cold, and creepy, like jumping into the lake in the middle of December. Then she cackled and I continued cleaning. At last I started storming up to bed, exhausted, and incredibly annoyed.  
  
* * *  
  
The next morning at breakfast proved much much better. It was a Saturday morning, and I was sitting with Marietta eating eggs and toast, when Baudouin sat down next to me.  
"I was wondering if you'd mind giving me a tour of the grounds today." He asked.  
"I'd love to." I said.  
So, a half hour later I was walking around the lake with Baudouin. It was superbly beautiful, with the trees all golden and the autumn leaves floating towards the lake. They made ripples in the water that got bigger and bigger and then just disappeared. It was what you'd call romantic. Almost.  
"What made you spend a year abroad at Beauxbatons?" asked Baudouin.  
"My mum." I answered.  
"What do you mean?"  
"She's French, you know, and my Dad lives here in England. They split up ages ago, and they still seem to always be having a row about where I should go, who I should live with. It's pretty insane actually."  
He nodded, almost asking me to continue.  
"So, I spent a year there, and liked it, but noting beats Hogwarts. No offense or anything."  
"That's alright," he told me.  
"So, I came back, and now spend summers with my mum in Paris, and winters with my Dad," I explained.  
"It's crazy," he told me, "I didn't even know French wasn't your first language there. I mean, I never really talked to you, but I heard you talking once, and it sounded pretty good."  
"Really?" I said, "'Cos it's the same with your English."  
"Really? He said, "'Cos it still needs work."  
"So does my French," I told him.  
For the rest of our walk we chatted in French, even more romantic. Finally, and sadly, I told him, "I'll see you later."  
"Sounds great," he said, "That was excellent, thank you."  
"No problem."  
  
* * *  
  
That night I couldn't sleep. I was too happy, and it wasn't even like we were going together or anything. When I can't sleep, I fly. Seriously. I open up the window of the dormitories, hop on my broom, and soar through the sky.  
I tip toed to the window, my broom in hand, and opened it as slowly as possible, hoping it would creak, or wake up anyone. Then I did the scariest part. I mounted my broom and jumped. But then, I was okay. I was soaring through the sky, just me and my broom, and the stars.  
Looking down I saw something I probably wasn't supposed to see. Dragons. I flew off before anyone saw me. I wasn't stupid, I knew they were for the First Task. But that was the thing. It might look like I was spying, for Harry or Cedric. So I rushed back to the window, and did my best to slowly sneak in. It resulted in a big thud, and me landing on the floor. That's the worst thing about flying. When you have to go back to the effing world.  
"Sneaking out to see your beloved Baudouin are you?" said Trixie. She looked positively wicked, as in evil, not awesome.  
"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" I asked her.  
"Thought you could use a little late night songfest?" she said, "And you thought I was boycrazy."  
"No, I wasn't. I was just flying, that's all."  
"Sure," Trix said.  
"Oh my gosh, what's your problem?" I asked her, "Nothing is even going on between Baudouin and I!"  
"Yes there is!" she screamed, looking positively furious. "You knew I liked him!"  
At this point her stupid dolphin squeal woke Cho and Marietta.  
"What the hell's going on?" asked Cho.  
"We're trying to sleep!" said Marietta.  
"Tabby just snuck out to go make out with the guy I like," Trixie said. Then she burst into tears.  
"Look, I don't want to get involved," said Cho. Marietta nodded in agreement.  
Stella was up now, comforting Trix, and looking at me like I was a five year old who just stole her mommy's broomstick.  
It was so unfair. I didn't do anything, and since when was Baudouin Trix's property! I went to sleep, not wanting to wake up the next morning. 


End file.
